Back in January, Google put the kibosh on its controversial Glass Explorer program, and that got the tech world wondering if it was the end of Glass for good. Despite the rumors regarding the Glass shutdown, Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt says the headset is a long-term project, and was put under Tony Fadell’s oversight “to make it ready for users”.

Schmidt explains:

It is a big and very fundamental platform for Google. We ended the Explorer program and the press conflated this into us canceling the whole project, which isn’t true. Google is about taking risks and there’s nothing about adjusting Glass that suggests we’re ending it.

That’s like saying the self-driving car is a disappointment because it’s not driving me around now. These things take time.

Soon after the project was moved out of Google’s X labs, a few reports suggested that Tony Fadell wouldn’t launch the 2nd generation Google Glass headset without it being completely consumer-ready. If those rumors are true, that means there will be no Glass Explorer program this time around.

Back in December, we heard that the next-gen Google Glass headset, which is rumored to launch sometime this year, would see a complete redesign. Intel is rumored to supply the CPU, as opposed to the Texas Instruments processor in the current model. The new headset will supposedly feature much better battery life as well.

We’re not sure when the new Glass model will launch, but we do know that Google is doing all they can to get things right this time around.

We’ve seen prototypes of Sony‘s answer to Google Glass pop up almost a year ago, and now it’s finally official. Sony will now let you pre-order the Sony SmartEyeglass Developer Edition for $840. Units are available for pre-order from today in Germany and the UK, and will ship in March. US and Japan availability is coming soon, though we don’t have a timeframe for these countries yet. Additionally, the headset will be available for enterprise customers in France, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Netherlands and Sweden when it officially launches. Also upon launch, Sony will release an updated SDK for developers to begin creating SmartEyeglass-compatible applications.

Similar to Google Glass, the SmartEyeglass (SED-E1) dev unit will let you interact with your surroundings, allowing you to take photos, send text messages, and much more. It connects to any Android device running 4.4 KitKat or later, and can easily pair to the device through the SmartEyeglass app which can be found in the Play Store. The headset is controlled by a wired remote used for navigating through the device. The controller houses the battery, microphone, speaker and more. The controller is constantly connected to the headset, and is recommended to clip on either a shirt or jacket. But here’s the thing, having all of that extra space in the remote should warrant better battery life, but Sony is only quoting the battery at 150 minutes of continuous use. Since this is a first generation product, we’ll need to withhold judgement until we see a consumer-ready product.

A little over two weeks ago the Google Glass project graduated from the Google X labs, the facility used by the company to push forward major technological advancements. In addition to Glass’ announcement, Nest co-founder Tony Fadell was set to take over the Glass project from here on out. Usually when a project leaves the X labs it means that its generally going well, and that we should begin seeing some major progress coming soon. However, in a new report from The Wall Street Journal, Fadell doesn’t have plans to release the 2nd Generation Glass to the public anytime soon.

The report states that ‘some people with knowledge of Mr. Fadell’s plans’ say that he wants to completely redesign the product and won’t release it until the product achieves perfection. There will also be no public experimentation with the 2nd Generation product, so, that means there will be no Explorer Program for the new model. One person close to Fadell explains:

Tony is a product guy and he’s not going to release something until it’s perfect.

This can be taken as either a positive or a negative. On one hand, not releasing Glass until it’s perfect and ready for consumers would be great. A significantly cheaper model ready for the public is what many people think Glass needs to survive. On the other hand, many people sill believe that Glass was too much, too soon. An Explorer Program would likely make sense in this scenario.

So, if the report holds validity, we might not see Google Glass 2 arrive for the public anytime soon. We’ll be sure to let you know if we hear anything regarding Glass in the future. What are your thoughts? Do you think there should be another Explorer Program, or do you back Fadell’s stance on holding back until it’s perfect? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Almost two years after the Glass Explorer program first made Google’s head mounted computer available to enthusiasts and developers, Glass is “graduating” from the Google [X] labs to become a real commercial project.

That sounds like great news, but with this graduation (“put on our big kid shoes and learn how to run,” said the Glass team) comes the end of the Glass Explorer program, and with it, Glass sales to the public:

Since we first met, interest in wearables has exploded and today it’s one of the most exciting areas in technology. Glass at Work has been growing and we’re seeing incredible developments with Glass in the workplace. As we look to the road ahead, we realize that we’ve outgrown the lab and so we’re officially “graduating” from Google[x] to be our own team here at Google. We’re thrilled to be moving even more from concept to reality.

As part of this transition, we’re closing the Explorer Program so we can focus on what’s coming next. January 19 will be the last day to get the Glass Explorer Edition. In the meantime, we’re continuing to build for the future, and you’ll start to see future versions of Glass when they’re ready. (For now, no peeking.)

Google is basically ending its public experiment with Glass and turning it into a commercial project, with the implied goal to bring Glass to market as a real product, rather than a “beta.”

Google co-founder Sergey Brin has been one of the most vocal advocates of Glass

There’s no official word from Google about it, but the WSJ reports that the new Glass team will be under the supervision of Tony Fadell, head of Google’s Nest Labs smart home division. Google’s Ivy Ross will be the exec directly in charge with the project, but she will report to Fadell, who will provide oversight and “strategic guidance.”

Tony Fadell

Fadell, a former Apple exec who led the development of the original iPod, joined Google a year ago through the $3.2 billion acquisition of Nest Labs. Soon after the acquisition, sources claimed that Fadell’s role would extend to include oversight of all of Google’s hardware projects. Fadell refuted the rumors, but looking at the addition of Glass to his portfolio, it seems that the executive is indeed turning into a hardware tsar at the Mountain View company.

“Early Glass efforts have broken ground and allowed us to learn what’s important to consumers and enterprises alike,” Fadell said in a statement. “I’m excited to be working with Ivy to provide direction and support as she leads the team and we work together to integrate those learnings into future products. I remain fully committed to Nest and am equally excited about our work there, which continues to accelerate.”

While sales to the public will end January 19, Google will continue to provide Glass to companies and developers looking to develop applications for it, reports WSJ, and a new version of Glass is coming this year.

Today’s news is a mixed bag for Glass enthusiasts, some of whom have suffered ridicule or even outright harassment by angry bar patrons, movie theaters employees, or hostile restaurant owners. The closing of the Explorer program without a clear replacement suggests Google realized that selling the $1500 Glass to the public wasn’t a good idea in the first place.

On the flip side, with a hardware heavyweight like Tony Fadell at the helm, Glass has better chances of becoming a real product.

It’s fairly safe to assume that Google will pitch the new Glass, whenever it’s coming, mainly for workplace applications. The public’s hostility towards Glass has not translated to the enterprise sector, where Glass has been explored for a number of interesting applications, including feeding info to doctors, pilots, or even soldiers.

“The Interview” is the most successful online release ever for a Hollywood movie. For the first time, customers were able to watch a new film from the comfort of their house and/or on their phone or tablet. Thanks to Sony Pictures Entertainment being hacked and movie theaters being threatened, Sony decided to release the film online at the same time that it hit select theaters.

“The Interview” then took in a surprising $15 million in its first four days of online sales and rentals. As the Los Angeles Times noted, “The Interview” was streamed or downloaded more than 2 million times over the holiday weekend after it was released on Google Play, YouTube Movies, Microsoft’s Xbox Video and a stand-alone website on Christmas Eve, the day before it hit theaters.

But will we soon be able to watch more new films on our smartphones/tablets? Not likely.

Movie theaters continue to resist shortening the window between theatrical and home release. At the moment, theaters have imposed a 120 day window (although, some can get the movie after 90 days). Theater operators argue that making a movie available in the home at the same time as it appears in theaters takes away from the theatrical experience and discourages people from going to the cinema.

Let’s not also forget theater owners considering whether it would be a good idea to jam cell phone signals in their theaters to cut down on rude behavior and piracy. Nevermind that it was illegal at the time to jam cell phone signals.

It isn’t all on the movie theaters though as movie studios have financially enjoyed such an arrangement with the theaters. The business of releasing a movie in the theaters, then on DVD and then on HBO/Starz has reaped the movie studios many billions of dollars over many years.

But with DVD business sales declining heavily and ticket sales declining even more rapidly, movie studios are suddenly realizing that they need to open up new distribution streams. The problem for the movie studios is that most money made by the studios does come from movie theaters. Movie theater chains know this and use this fact to fight back against movie groups that they do not like.

For example, several months ago, Netflix agreed to finance the “Crouching Tiger” sequel. While the movie was supposed to be released on Netflix on the same day as it hit Imax theaters, most theaters across the country refused to screen the movie due to the Netflix availability. According to Regal, the nation’s largest cinema chain, they did not want to participate “in an experiment where you can see the same product on screens varying from three stories tall to 3″ wide on a smart phone.”

This comes after several major movie theater chains refused to show the comedy “Tower Heist” after Universal Pictures wanted to make the movie available at an expensive price to consumers after three weeks from its launch at the theaters. When movie studios wanted to offer $30 video-on-demand movie rentals after the movie had been in theaters for 10 weeks, movie theater chains revolted.

Another victim in this business cycle are smaller theaters who continue to complain about the number of restrictions put in place by the movie studios due to exclusive deals signed with the major movie theater chains. For example, when “Gone Girl” debuted in October of last year, a number of small-town theaters in east Texas wanted to play the movie. But 20th Century Fox made the film available to only one venue in Kilgore, Texas, while other theaters would have to wait another week.

Going back to 2005, one poll (via TechDirt) showed that almost 75% of people preferred watching movies at home. That is 10 years ago when someone’s movie choices with streaming services were much more limited.

The movie industry openly admits to running a distribution pattern that has worked for decades. So, while technology is changing, the movie industry seems intent on trying to slow everything done for their own financial benefit. They will continue to pretend as if Netflix doesn’t exist and will threaten to ban any movies that don’t allow the theaters an absurd amount of window release time.

Source: Los Angeles Times;]]>http://www.androidauthority.com/will-soon-able-watch-brand-new-movies-phones-577850/feed/13Sony is developing a Google Glass-like display that can be used with a normal pair of glasseshttp://www.androidauthority.com/sony-google-glass-like-display-575260/
http://www.androidauthority.com/sony-google-glass-like-display-575260/#commentsWed, 17 Dec 2014 21:04:45 +0000http://www.androidauthority.com/?p=575260

Google Glass has had its ups and downs in the time it has been available to Glass Explorers, and for the most part, it hasn’t quite caught on yet. With the introduction of a consumer-ready variant slated for 2015, Glass may not be the only heads up display we see next year. Sony has just announced their development of a “lightweight single-lens display module,” not unlike Google Glass. Sony is set to show their new wearable off at CES this upcoming January.

Sony is currently only working on the display module thus far, so we won’t see the final product for a long time. However, the company mentions that they plan on mass-producing this product sometime within the coming year. The general build of the wearable is extremely similar to Glass – both have a single OLED display projecting onto a glass pane over the right eye, Wifi and Bluetooth capabilities – but the aim of Sony’s product is a bit different. The company is currently seeking out potential customers, such as eyeglass manufacturers that tailor their products to sports or entertainment-minded use cases, as well as companies that provide business solutions using wearable tech. Sony’s product can be used on any normal pair of glasses or sunglasses, making it much more open that its Glass counterpart.

Since it’s still very early in the development process, we don’t have any specifications for the device quite yet. However, we know we’ll see this technology sometime in the near future, so be on the lookout come January for any new developments in this field.

Based on what we’ve seen from Google Glass so far, how do you think this will compare? Is this groundbreaking technology, or just another heads up display? Tell us your thoughts in the comments!

Google Glass has truly been getting its Third Eye Blind on. The pricey product was announced at Google I/O back in 2012 and released to “Explorers” in 2013. The tech world was caught in a sea of skepticism and scrutiny about the super spectacles: they cost $1500, they were only available to a few thousand people, and they were a rather obnoxious concept with some potentially serious privacy implications.

As we approach the cusp of another new year, Glass is more-or-less available to any that want it direct from Google, yet it’s still billed as a pre-launch product for all intents and purposes. With talk that even developers are backing away from it, you would be well founded in thinking its ocular days are numbered. And yet… that may not be the case after all.

A new report by The Wall Street Journal claims that Google is working on a sequel to Glass, that will launch next year and will utilize an Intel CPU, as opposed to the Texas Instruments chip in the current version. The newer version will reportedly have longer battery life as well and will be targeted at professional users, such as medical staff.

Let’s break this down, piece by piece:

The release date: Google has yet to officially release Glass. Many have speculated that the pricey tech device was added to the Play Store in an effort to liquidate remaining stock before releasing a new version. The 2nd-gen Google Glass could very well be the official release the tech world was (once) waiting for, though the pricing issue remains a potential problem. If it costs anywhere near what the current Glass retails for, there is almost no chance it will be commercially successful.

The CPU: As TI basically ended its play in the mobile processor arena a few years back (see Google’s reason for terminating OS support for the Galaxy Nexus), going with an established, current CPU manufacturer like Intel is a safe bet. All the more so given that Intel is facing somewhat difficult financial problems and thus the contract with Google will definitely be an asset to its balance sheet.

The Battery: Glass has rather abysmal battery life, with it varying between a few hours (if video is recorded) to roughly one day. By increasing the battery capacity, the device would have a much greater range of use and practicality. For example, if doctors used it to record an extensive surgical procedure, having greatly extended battery life would mean the 6 hour operation could all be captured.

The Market: Clearly someone has come to terms with the limitation of the “geek” market. That is to say, the tech community has all but forgotten about Glass and has moved on to other things, while the courts continue to find new places it can’t be used. The WSJ report indicates that Intel plans to market the device to hospitals and manufacturers, and find new applications for it in the every day workplace. This would definitely go a long way in establishing Glass as a legitimate device, and to some extent, actually provide the product with the main users it arguably should have had from the onset. Something like Glass has so many practical applications in everything from construction to surgery to sports, that it’s almost a mystery as to why Google relegated the thing to hardcore tech enthusiasts. That said, it’s important to note that the report says Google would still make the device available for everyday consumers as well.

While there are a lot of questions on the table about the future of Glass, at least this report, if true, suggests that Google Glass’ days aren’t necessarily numbered and that a brighter, business-oriented future could be in store. What do you think, like the idea of Google Glass a specialized tool for businesses, government and healthcare?

Robert Scoble currently holds his title as one of the most influential tech bloggers. You may better recognize him from a popular image in which he is showering while wearing Google Glass. Long before his tech baths he was mingling with Microsoft as a Windows evangelist, though. He has his background and knows the company, making his opinion on Windows Phone of significant importance.

Scoble’s opinion on Microsoft’s mobile platform is firm and sound: he believes the company should ditch Windows Phone all together. He then goes on to express that going Android would be the best choice Microsoft could make.

“The real answer is, give up Windows Phone, go Android, and embrace and extend like you did with the Internet. But they don’t listen to me.” – Robert Scoble

In this interview with Geek Wire, Scoble also goes on to express why he believes Microsoft is failing in this highly competitive market. One main discrepancy is that Microsoft is no longer a startup. It works much more like the massive corporation that it now is. This turns Microsoft into a “committee-driven and slow” company.

The problem with Microsoft is that it’s so committee-driven and slow. It’s not a startup anymore.

Satya Nadella may be trying to change this by hosting hackathons, which he thinks is “cool” and may spark some developer interest. He claims the real problem lays on the fact that this won’t change a thing as long as they stay in Seattle. His belief is that if Microsoft should succeed in the mobile market, it would be by winning San Francisco, which he considers the “center of the world” for tech.

Should Microsoft really go Android?

As true Android fans, we support variety, competition and an open market where everyone can have a piece of the pie. This would be the case in our ideal world, but there is something making Microsoft fail in the market. As much as they have grown, they are still losing terribly.

Seeing Lumia smartphones running Android would be an epiphany in the flesh

Fellow writer Robert Scoble also holds truth in his words when he says “that train has sailed”. With that said, should Microsoft really switch to Android? As a Google follower, most of us would agree that seeing Lumia smartphones running Android would be an epiphany in the flesh. Nokia (now owned by Microsoft) makes some of the best hardware around!

As for my real opinion? I’ll be damned if ever see Microsoft pulling such a move. This would mean Microsoft getting off its high horse and give up in front of Google and the world. Simply put, it would signify defeat. Rationally speaking, the platform is still new and continues to grow, so Microsoft won’t be making such drastic changes any time soon… as sweet as that idea sounds.

While Google Glass has yet to make a major impact commercially, the project has certainly made the headlines on more than one occasion. This is in part due to its potential and, in other part, the controversy that has surrounded the product.

Google Glass’ future might not be certain just yet, but the man that originally led the development of the Glass project will no longer be part of whatever comes next for the wearable headset. Babak Parviz has confirmed that it he has been hired by Amazon, and that he is excited about “what [they] might accomplish”. It’s unclear what exactly Parviz might be doing as part of Amazon’s team, but it more than likely is aimed at further expanding the company’s hardware ambitions.

Amazon started as an e-tailer that eventually progressed to selling its own line of e-readers, than tablets, and more recently a set-top box and a smartphone. So what’s next? That’s a good question, but Samsung, LG, Motorola and countless other companies have begun making the move towards wearables — perhaps Amazon will be next.

To that end, Parviz said last week at a wearable technologies conference in San Francisco that “Google Glass is one answer to that question. It’s not necessarily the definitive answer.” Could Amazon be planning to make a move into the wearable market, or is it more likely that they will utilize Parviz’s talents for its other hardware-related projects?

Wearable devices are the next big trend in mobile devices, but these currently have one inherent limitation: user interface. To date, users can interact with wearables like Google Glass through voice commands or touch-based interfaces. But wouldn’t it be cool to control your wearable device just by thinking of a command in your mind? An open-source app called MindRDR might just be the solution.

Developed by a startup called This Place, MindRDR basically enables users to execute tasks on devices through brain activity. The app works in conjunction with a sensor like the Neurosky EEG biosensor headset, which translates brain activity into signals that can be read by electronic gadgets. The MindRDR app acts as a go-between for a mobile handset or wearable — in this case, Google Glass — and the biosensor headset.

The current iteration of MindRDR is currently limited to taking photos and uploading these on Facebook and Twitter. The app appears as a horizontal white line on Google Glass, which moves upward on the screen as the user concentrates. With enough concentration, Glass takes a shot. Repeating the process — concentrating until the white line reaches the top of the screen — will then command Glass to upload the photo to either Facebook or Twitter account, whichever is configured.

Limitations aside, the developers at This Place have released the source code, in order for other developers or teams to build on the mind-reading concept. Concentrating is a crude yet novel approach to controlling Glass, and with better brain wave sensitivity, developers might be able to expand on its use. Perhaps developers can also enable Glass to work with other forms of interaction, perhaps including three-dimensional motion.

What would be interesting is for Google to actually build brain wave-sensitivity on Glass itself, to reduce the number of add-on devices needed for this purpose. An added headset might be necessary for using MindRDR on devices work on other parts of the body, such as smartwatches or clothing-based wearables. But eyeglasses are already a perfect place to incorporate a portable EEG, which can enable such devices to read brainwaves.

Beyond novelty, however, one possible practical use of MindRDR is for folks who are limited in terms of motion or who have an inability to interact with devices through motion, touch or voice. The other possible concern for everyone, however, would be whether this is too intrusive as a user interface. Who knows whether Google or another company is already eavesdropping on what we’re thinking?